When the Wingfeathers first arrived in Ban Rona, I was slipping up behind someone in the library, so I heard about Kalmar’s transformation before I saw him. It was quite a shock. Imagine you were from Ban Rona. Would it be hard to adjust to the idea of seeing a Fang of Dang arrive in your city? How do you think you would handle it?

I don’t think I would handle it very well. I tend to have a lot of empathy, but I am also pretty easy to frighten, so I would probably feel really bad for him, but also be too afraid of him to actually approach him and talk to him or make friends at least at first. That is if he were a peer….given that I am an adult and he is not, hopefully I would be a bit less scared and better able to get past the scared response and actually talk to him, but if I didn’t manage that, I would probably try to get people to see that this has to be really hard for him too, especially if they really are telling the truth that he was a normal boy before he became a fang.

I think I would have a hard time adjusting. I tend to be empathetic, however, so it might not take me as long as some people. It would be hard for the people in Ban Rona, though, because they haven’t read the Saga. So they don’t know the Wingfeather’s story. I can understand why they reacted the way they did. It would be pretty scary to have this Fang show up after decades (or more) of peace inside their land. So I’m not entirely sure how I would react, but I can understand the reactions of the people of Ban Rona.

How do we learn to set aside fear and be kind? I think you made a good point, Anneliese, when you said that it might have been hard for us because we hadn’t read Kalmar’s story yet. It is hard to see past our own experiences. None of us could imagine being a monster, and then we acted like monsters.

I, too, would hope that adults would be able to get past our scared response, but it was the adults in the Hollows who rioted. I had more kids in the library that week than I knew what to do with, because some of their parents were so scared and didn’t want them to play outside. I had to break up a fight in the Pictures of Creatures That Will Eat You section.

Naturally, they would go to THAT section….they can’t all end up in “Places that make you feel safe” or “Heros of Ban Rona history”….no, they have to be looking at pictures of monsters that will eat them, until they scare themselves into fighting with each other.

I know! And we have so many good books in both of those sections, too. Nor could I convince any of them to read Goverly Swimp or Cloodge’s Squirrel Gets Away, either of which would make them feel braver.

Pity they take after the adults so much…not like we are doing things so much better. We don’t look to the Maker all that well when scared by something, we tend to focus on whatever is scary and get into fights with each other too.

I agree… I definitely tend to not respond well when faced with something I don’t understand. I loved how transparent Janner’s character was – even he didn’t fully understand what had happened to his brother, or why, and even he – though he had vowed to protect him – wasn’t sure Kalmar was fully trustworthy. If even his own brother wasn’t sure, I can’t imagine the degree of natural suspicion the Hollish folk felt. One of my favorite things about these books, as I delve deeper, is how they are changing my own perception of evil in the world. I’m already finding myself more willing to hunt for – even expect – a backstory that increases my empathy for the “baddie”… phenomenal story-telling.

This section of this book is hitting home right now as I think about current events. When I look at this person, do I see a Jewel or a Fang? A refugee or a terrorist? Someone to love or someone to fear? I know we each face this choice in many smaller ways and closer relationships as well, but current events are really highlighting this concept for me and I am grieved by the way I see my culture, and to some extent my own heart, responding.

No one here would try to make friends with a fang! Really? The Ban Ronans hadn’t read the Saga, they didn’t know all about it, all they knew was here comes one of these monsters you’ve always been afraid of. Instinct is telling them, kill him! We’ve got to defend our country. No one would trust him, even though he’s the queen’s son. He’s still a fang! I am shocked how much restraint the Ban Ronans showed.
Poor Kalmar. This is a lot more than just not fitting in with everyone, because he was a monster. I mean, if Hitler came to your town, I wouldn’t expect you to make friends with him.

Yea, but Kalmar isn’t Gnag, he’s just a normal fang, and Nia is a daughter of the hollows, so they have good reason to trust her.
Beside the fact that the whole crew and Kalmar’s whole family weren’t afraid of him, (not that much anyway.)

That’s certainly true, though I still don’t blame them for being afraid. And being the son of a good queen doesn’t make you good. I’m surprised how much his family trusted him, but that’s one of the things I love about the saga.

Nia was/is an remarkable women, she dealt with a lot of problems.
Her country was overtaken, her husband, was killed/turned into a cloven.
Her children where hunted, and her son was turned into a fang.
Besides the fact that her family was killed, and her father killed dragons in his youth.
It would be interesting to here Nia’s point of view.